Can you see "The Devil Wears Prada" star Emily Blunt as kick-ass heroine Katniss Everdeen in director Gary Ross' upcoming "Hunger Games" adaptation? At 27, Blunt's a bit older than Katniss' 16 years to be sure... but if the almost-30-year-old "kids" from "Glee" can do it, why not Emily?

We're only asking because the topic of "Hunger Games" came up when MTV's Josh Horowitz chatted with Blunt at the press day for "Gulliver's Travels." The actress revealed that she was deep into reading the first novel in author Suzanne Collins' gritty young-adult trilogy -- about a brutal post-apocalyptic world in which the government forces children to fight to the death in a yearly televised event -- and was absolutely loving it. "I'm two thirds of the way through, and kind of riveted by it and terrified by it at the same time," she said. "I can't stop reading it.
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"Seabiscuit" and "Pleasantville" director Gary Ross might not have been a natural choice to direct the adaptation of Suzanne Collins' popular teen adventure novel "The Hunger Games." According to "The Los Angeles Times," Ross got the gig not due to some elaborate presentations about special effects but due to a simple video he shot of his kids and their friends explaining why Collins' books matters so much to them. "What was amazing was how insightful these kids were about this book and about Katniss Everdeen as a character," said "Hunger Games" producer Nina Jacobson. "It was so clear that Gary was interested in what the fans cared about."
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"Seabiscuit" and "Pleasantville" director Gary Ross might not have been a natural choice to direct the adaptation of Suzanne Collins' popular teen adventure novel "The Hunger Games." According to "The Los Angeles Times," Ross got the gig not due to some elaborate presentations about special effects but due to a simple video he shot of his kids and their friends explaining why Collins' books matters so much to them. "What was amazing was how insightful these kids were about this book and about Katniss Everdeen as a character," said "Hunger Games" producer Nina Jacobson. "It was so clear that Gary was interested in what the fans cared about."
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Ever since Lionsgate picked up the film rights to Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games, fans of the book series have been tossing out names of who they'd like to see take on the role of the book's tough-as-nails heroine, Katniss Everdeen. Suggestions from Hunger Games fans range from Gossip Girl's Willa Holland to Emily Browning (soon to be seen starring in Sucker Punch) to anyone as long as it's not someone from Twilight. But in an interview with the La Times, producer Nina Jacobson revealed there isn't a front-runner yet. She also confirmed casting will get underway in early 2011 as they anticipate filming to start in late spring.

Jacobson told the La Times, "We have so many great young actors right now whose representatives are interested, or who are interested themselves. It really comes down to finding that person who can capture the physicality, the vulnerability and the toughness.
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Along with some concept art, Vin Diesel says director David Twohy wants the actor to have three different looks for the upcoming third "Riddick" movie.

"H.R. Giger's wife, Carmen Scheifele, has reported the Swiss surrealist painter who designed the creature for the original 1979 "Alien" is back at work designing for Ridley Scott's untitled prequel..." (full details)

"With the equity and debt swapping all done, MGM has scored $500 million "to fund operations, including production of a new slate of films and television series". Some of that will be channeled to "The Hobbit", some to "Bond 23" and some to marketing films sitting on their shelves including "Red Dawn" and
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Along with some concept art, Vin Diesel says director David Twohy wants the actor to have three different looks for the upcoming third "Riddick" movie.

"H.R. Giger's wife, Carmen Scheifele, has reported the Swiss surrealist painter who designed the creature for the original 1979 "Alien" is back at work designing for Ridley Scott's untitled prequel..." (full details)

"With the equity and debt swapping all done, MGM has scored $500 million "to fund operations, including production of a new slate of films and television series". Some of that will be channeled to "The Hobbit", some to "Bond 23" and some to marketing films sitting on their shelves including "Red Dawn" and
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Every young actress in Hollywood is hoping the answer is “Me,” as producer Nina Jacobson has announced that auditions for the lead role in “The Hunger Games” will be taking place early next year. Which is in, like, a couple of weeks.

“The Hunger Games” is based on the first installment in a trilogy of dystopian sci-fi novels written by Suzanne Collins, taking place in a sprawling city-state known as Panem (formerly North America). The corrupt central government, referred to as “the Capitol,” holds an annual televised event in which one boy and one girl is chosen to fight to the death for the amusement (or horror) of the masses.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, a skilled archer and hardened survivalist, volunteers for the 74th installment of the game to spare her younger sister, Primrose, from being put into the competition.

Young actresses are quickly learning archery in order to be ready when auditions start in early 2011 for director Gary Ross’ adaptation of Suzanne Collins' popular teen adventure novel “The Hunger Games.” According to “The Los Angeles Times,” “Hunger Games” producer Nina Jacobson said that the field is wide open for the coveted role of heroine and hunter Katniss Everdeen. “We’ll start auditioning fairly early in the New Year,” Jacobson said. “There are no front-runners yet.”
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Young actresses are quickly learning archery in order to be ready when auditions start in early 2011 for director Gary Ross’ adaptation of Suzanne Collins' popular teen adventure novel “The Hunger Games.” According to “The Los Angeles Times,” “Hunger Games” producer Nina Jacobson said that the field is wide open for the coveted role of heroine and hunter Katniss Everdeen. “We’ll start auditioning fairly early in the New Year,” Jacobson said. “There are no front-runners yet.”
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Since Gary Ross was announced as the director of the adaptation of Suzanne Collins' best-selling novel The Hunger Games, fans have speculated on how Ross would cast the movie. While Ross didn't reveal that he had cast anyone for the lead role of Katniss, the book's main protagonist, the Seabiscuit director told EW that he is gearing up to cast the role.

I’ve talked to Suzanne extensively and I feel like I understand the character really, really well. I feel like I know who that girl needs to be. I’ve read in the press that there are frontrunners but that’s not the case. We’ll cast the right person for the part. Lionsgate has been great in the respect that they don’t feel that this needs a movie star in Katniss’ role. The greatest thing about the franchise and the books being the star is
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Director Gary Ross, who is on board to helm the film adaptation of the hit novel The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, is still looking to cast the lead character, Katniss Everdeen, Slashfilm.com is reporting. Ross told Entertainment Weekly that he hasn’t yet spoken to any actresses about the role. He will start looking for one soon, as the film starts shooting in spring 2011.
Ross also said that Lionsgate, the studio behind the movie, isn’t pressuring him to cast a well-known actress. He’s free to cast an unknown, and also said “We’ll cast he right person for the part. Lionsgate has been great in the respect that they don’t feel [...]
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As director Gary Ross begins preparations to adapt [1] one of the most popular books of the past few years, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, the most important decision he must make is casting his lead character: Katniss Everdeen. A self-sufficient, 16-year-old bad-ass female hero, Katniss is one of two kids selected from her district to compete in the annual titular fight to the death; a government organized, televised event in which only one child will survive and bring glory to their people.
It's a decision almost on par with Chris Columbus choosing Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter or Catherine Hardwicke casting Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen. The role of Katniss Everdeen has the potential to be that iconic.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Ross confirmed that he has not yet spoken to any actress about playing the role but will start to do so soon. And when he does,
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The enormously popular sci-fi series “Hunger Games” is speeding its way to a big screen adaptation, and today we finally have some news from its director, Gary Ross.

Ross has a tough task ahead of him in trying to meet the massive expectations of fans, but the hardest task of all may be finding the perfect Katniss.

According to Entertainment Weekly , any rumor you might have heard about casting or top picks for Katniss isn’t true. Ross reveals he hasn’t met with a single actress and assures fans that he won’t dumb down the role or make it cute and sweet. Nor will he and Lionsgate cast any actress just because she’s popular and better for the box office.

“We’ll cast the right person for the part,” he says. ”Lionsgate has been great in the respect that they don’t feel that this needs a movie star in Katniss’ role.
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Last month, director Gary Ross (Seabiscuit) was announced as the director to Suzanne Collins' acclaimed novel The Hunger Games. Ross recently sat down with EW to talk about his approach to the adaptation. Ross played rather coy about the project in the interview but did offer up some choice words in regards to the heroine of the novel Katniss:
“What makes Katniss attractive is her strength and her assuredness and her defiance and ultimately her compassion. And I don’t mean just physical strength. I mean a real strength as a human being. She knows her own truth. She feels deeply and fiercely. And this is something that the actress has to bring with her.”
The Hunger Games is part one of a trilogy focusing on an eighteen-year-old girl, who in a dystopian future must fight to the death against various other teenagers (a la Battle Royale). In the wake of Twilight,
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In the book, every year one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 are selected at random and forced to participate in the Hunger Games, a televised event where the participants, or "tributes", must fight to the death in a dangerous outdoor arena until only one remains. The story follows fatherless 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who volunteers for the 74th Games in place of her younger sister, Primrose. Also participating is Peeta Mellark, a boy whom Katniss knows from school and who once saved Katniss's life...

Ross revealed that he hadn’t as yet met with any actresses for the hotly contested lead role of 16 year old Katniss Everdeen but would begin those conversations shortly.

Attention Tributes: The first "Hunger Games" casting news is in... Kind of. Not really. Well, it's better than nothing, right? Director Gary Ross talked about the movie's already much-debated casting in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, in which he revealed that he hasn't met with any actresses for the coveted role of Katniss Everdeen, but says those conversations will begin shortly. Excuse our dignity for a moment while we say, "Squee!"

Ross was quick to rule out that there are any favorites for the role of the dark heroine. "I've read in the press that there are frontrunners but
that's not the case." He also said that they aren't ruling out casting an unknown for the role, something a lot of the book fans are pushing for. "We'll cast the right person for the part. Lionsgate has been
great in the respect that they don't feel that this needs a movie star
in Katniss' role,
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The rumors are true. Director Gary Ross (Seabiscuit, Pleasantville) will direct the Lionsgate adaptation of The Hunger Games, the first installment of Suzanne Collins’ brilliantly urgent dystopian trilogy. In his first conversation anywhere about the film, which Lionsgate told EW will likely go into production in the late spring of 2011, Ross was funny, passionate, and sounded as deeply impressed and moved by heroine Katniss Everdeen as the trilogy’s ardent fans.

Ross revealed that he hadn’t yet met with any actresses but would begin those conversations shortly. Admirers of Katniss, District 12′s dark and resilient “Tribute,” can rest assured
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Every year, studio executive Franklin Leonard compiles the “Black List,” a collection of the best unproduced screenplays as voted on by 300 execs and high-level assistants. The 2010 list is the sixth of its kind to bring additional awareness to Hollywood’s hottest scripts.

Topping the list this year is Wes Jones’ College Republicans, a Social Network-esque story (read my script review here) about the underhanded election of Karl Rove to a National College Republican seat, managed by strategy wunderkind Lee Atwater. Shia Labeouf is attached to play Atwater and Paul Dano as Rove. Previous Black List leaders include 2008’s The Beaver, which became a long-delayed film directed by Jodie Foster and starring Mel Gibson, and 2009’s The Muppet Man, which remains on the shelf.

Top 10 of 2010 (via the La Times). The Black List is available for download on the official website. Update: the rest added below:

Updated: Ok, so I’ve had way to many emails from you guys pointing out that the Oscar form isn’t working for some of you this time around. I’ve put my best team of problem solvers on the issue and they can’t work it out, but 7 or 8 of you have told me it’s not working for you… so I presume there’s many more out there. To date we’ve had a little less entries than last time, so this problem is too much for me to ignore.

My only solution for now is for you to email your picks to editor@obsessedwithfilm.com. I will be collating results on Monday or Tuesday, so you’ve got a bit of time left to enter.

Now you’ve read our 1999 Academy Awards retrospective, here’s your chance to re-write history without the hassle of going back in
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